The present invention relates to a system of controlled floating aspirators to collect lower density liquids floating on another liquid, generally water.
The European Pat. EP-0024187 describes a system of controlled floating aspirators which mainly concentrates on collecting oil products floating on the surface of the sea, due to spillage from underwater oilfields, by collisions between tankers, groundings or any other cause or circumstance whatsoever giving rise to the so-called "oil spills".
More specifically, the system of the above-mentioned patent is based on fitting the sides of a tanker with V-shaped cages having a height so that when the ship is in ballast or empty the lower part of the cages will be submerged in the sea and, at the same time, the upper part of the cages will rise above the deep water-line of the ship. Inside each cage there is a number of floating aspirators capable of moving freely within the cages, adjusting to the slightest fluctuating movements of the liquid surface, so that the aspirators will remain floating on the sea at all times, regardless of the status of the ship on the water.
This solution, albeit perfectly acceptable as regards the results obtained from the standpoint of aspirating waste on the surface of the sea is, however, troublesome essentially in two respects.
On the one hand, the cages are huge in size and are hence very awkward to position, pose storage problems when not in use and must also undergo a heavy strain when inside the water, given their great length, which makes them difficult to use.
On the other hand, and since the characteristics of each ship are substantially variable, especially as regards their distance between the deep water-line and the water-line with the ship in ballast, a particular and specific cage is required for each type of ship, as regards the height of the cage, which makes it even more complicated to manufacture the cages and raises their cost.